Few are those who did not hear about that famous 1997 Italian comedy-drama film La vità è bella (Life is beautiful), which starred Roberto Benigni, who also directed it.
The film narrates the story of Guido Orefice (Roberto Benigni), a Jewish shop owner who exercises his fertile imagination to protect his son from the barbarities of internment that were constantly committed in a Nazi concentration camp. A powerful message that the film tried to convey is that humour is more powerful than the atrocities themselves.
Aside from this well-known movie, I recently came across a thought expressed by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who is currently the vice president as well as prime minister of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Emir of Dubai. Al Maktoum made the following point: “My theory on life is that life is beautiful. Life does not change. You have a day, and a night, and a month, and a year. We people change – we can be miserable or we can be happy. It's what you make of your life”.
Maktoum’s theory made me ask myself a very important question about my own personal life: What can I do with my life? Live it miserably or live it happily? As soon as I asked this question, another powerful reflection came to mind, this time by the great classical Athenian philosopher Socrates. He said: “The unexamined life is not worth living”.
Propelled by his innovative way of viewing life, I set out to write a book. Thanks to the inspiration I got from the Holy Spirit, I could put pen to paper to write some reflections on my life experiences. The book, which is written in Maltese, is entitled Il-Ħajja Sabiħa (Life is beautiful).
This simple book contains some 20 reflections regarding various strands of how I experience life. What I find fascinating though is that each life strand leads to the core question I have just mentioned: What makes life really beautiful? It is my ardent wish that the readers of this book will be able to give their own response to the fundamental question they feel in their hearts: What can make my life more beautiful than it is at present? The book costs €5 and can be bought from Say it Fair Trade and printing, 32 Tarxien Road Paola. One can also call 2713 1060 or order the book online.
The book has been published by Say it fair trade & printing. ‘Say it’ is a social enterprise run by Youtheme CoOp. and follows the principles of fair trade as proposed by The World Fair Trade Organization. The latter organization prescribes 10 principles that fair trade organizations must follow in their day-to-day work and carries out monitoring to ensure these principles are upheld. These principles are: (1) creating opportunities for economically disadvantaged producers; (2) transparency and accountability; (3) fair trading practices; (4) payment of a fair price; (5) ensuring no child labour/forced labour; (6) commitment to non-discrimination, gender impartiality and freedom of association; (7) ensuring good working conditions; (8) providing capacity building; (9) promoting Fair Trade; and (10) respect for the environment.
All the profits of Say it fair trade & printing are donated to the Youtheme Foundation vo873. Its aim is to invite people of good will, like you, to join them in their efforts to make the world a better place through our daily choices. It’s not how much money you spend but who that money is supporting that really makes a BIG difference!
When one chooses fair trade, one automatically chooses to support local farmers and workshops in villages in the developing world rather than a multinational company. Say it seeks to provide you with fair trade choice and add value to it by giving its profits to the Youtheme Foundation to help in youth and development projects in Malta and in the developing world.
Get a copy of Il-Ħajja Sabiħa. May this book help you and the people you give it to as a gift, be an inspiration on how you and them can live your life in the most beautiful way possible; principally, by showing solidarity to the least of the brethren of course.
Fr Mario Attard OFM Cap